Released: 2023

Genres: Bedroom Pop, Soft Rock, Ambient

The Musiquarium’s One Wayne G Review Score: 7 out of 10

Earlier in the year, Mac DeMarco returned from a four year hiatus with an instrumental album, Five Easy Hot Dogs. It was good, but it didn’t have the same impact as his previous albums, mostly due to the lack of his emotive vocals, which really hurt any potential it had in becoming another 2, Salad Days or This Old Dog. It failed to win back those who were let down by 2019’s (frankly underrated) Here Comes the Cowboy, but Mac was undeterred, as only a few months later, Mac released the mostly instrumental One Wayne G, a compilation of recordings made between 2018 and 2023. Oh yeah, and there’s nearly two hundred songs on here.

One Wayne G captures five years of Mac DeMarco recordings, showcasing the diverse influences that reflect in his music, as well as the prolificness and musical restlessness that he exhibits. Out of the 199 songs, only 18 contain conventional vocals, though several others incorporate scat singing. The songs here include the typical Mac DeMarco guitar exercises you’ve come to expect, but there’s also some detours into funk, synthpop and even ambient.

One Wayne G might not be an album Mac’s fans will reach for often, but it’s great to put on as background music while you study or relax, or if you have a 9 hour flight and only want to listen to one album.

Trivia: One Wayne G translates to 199 (Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky’s jersey with the Edmonton Oilers was #99), the same as the number of tracks on the album.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Mac DeMarco on Discogs.

Back to the 2023 Album Guide or the Mac DeMarco Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard